Reference
CSV import fails
Validate the file format, runtime capability, headers, preview, type inference, and compatibility-import limits.
Updated
By Kition Docs
Verified against Kition 0.1.41 (d3e1b931) on 2026-08-29
Confirm the supported path
If the dialog labels the backend Compatibility import, XLSX, asynchronous progress, and write-mode selection are unavailable. Convert to CSV or TSV and import into an existing table, or update the Desktop runtime.
- CSV and TSV can be imported into an existing table through the current runtime or compatibility importer
- XLSX and creating a new Kitable require the updated runtime import capability
- Legacy
.xlsis rejected; save it as XLSX, CSV, or TSV first
Repair the source file
The compatibility parser detects comma, tab, or semicolon delimiters and normalizes blank or duplicate headers. An empty file or data with no usable fields cannot create an import preview.
- Include a non-empty header row and at least one field
- Prefer UTF-8 text
- Keep delimiters consistent and quote values that contain delimiters or newlines
- Normalize mixed dates and inspect identifiers with leading zeros or large numeric values
Review the preview and field types
Check detected rows, fields, worksheet, warnings, and sample values before importing. Override inferred types when the preview would turn an identifier into a number or interpret a mixed column incorrectly.
The compatibility analyzer recognizes true/false and yes/no as Boolean tokens. It does not use the old documented 1/0 Boolean rule.
Recover safely
Keep the source file, import into a test table, and compare row and field counts. Compatibility import does not provide Append/Replace write-mode selection; for an established table it keeps existing fields, adds missing normalized fields, and adds imported rows.
Implementation sources
Related pages
Import spreadsheet data
Preview and import CSV, TSV, or supported XLSX data into a new Kitable or an existing table with reviewed field types.
Field types overview
Choose from the 24 field types implemented by Kition 0.1.41 and configure AI on supported fields without inventing a separate AI type.
Create a table
Create a blank `.kitable` workspace or start from a verified built-in template, then customize its fields, records, and views.